§ 86.1111-87 Test procedures for PCA testing.

(a)

(1) For heavy-duty engines, the prescribed test procedure for PCA testing is the Federal Test Procedure as described in subparts N, I, and P of this part.

(2) For heavy-duty vehicles, the prescribed test procedure for PCA testing is described in subpart M of this part.

(3) For light-duty trucks, the prescribed test procedure for PCA testing is the Federal Test Procedure as described in subparts B and P of this part.

(4) During the testing of heavy-duty diesel engines, the manufacturer shall decide for each engine, prior to the start of the initial cold cycle, whether the measurement of background particulate is required for the cold and hot cycles to be valid. The manufacturer may choose to have different requirements for the cold and hot cycles. If a manufacturer chooses to require the measurement of background particulate, failure to measure background particulate shall void the test cycle regardless of the test results. If a test cycle is void, the manufacturer shall retest using the same validity requirements of the initial test.

(5) When testing light-duty trucks, the following exceptions to the test procedures in subpart B are applicable:

(i) The manufacturer may use gasoline test fuel meeting the specifications of paragraph (a) of § 86.113 for mileage accumulation. Otherwise, the manufacturer may use fuels other than those specified in this section only with advance approval of the Administrator.

(ii) The manufacturer may measure the temperature of the test fuel at other than the approximate midvolume of the fuel tank, as specified in paragraph (a) of § 86.131, and may drain the test fuel from other than the lowest point of the fuel tank, as specified in paragraph (b) of § 86.131, with the advance approval of the Administrator.

(iii) The manufacturer may perform additional preconditioning on PCA test vehicles other than the preconditioning specified in § 86.132 only if the additional preconditioning has been performed on certification test vehicles of the same configuration.

(iv) The manufacturer shall perform the heat build procedure 11 to 34 hours following vehicle preconditioning rather than according to the time period specified in paragraph (a) of § 86.133.